Iran trained at least 500 members of Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad before Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) reportedly participated in the September exercises, conducted by members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) international operations division, the Quds Force, as stated by WSJ citing sources.
Iran Trained Hamas Fighters?
Over 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed on 7 October by Hamas fighters who infiltrated the Israel-Gaza border. Several people were kidnapped and returned to Gaza, where they are currently held hostage.
According to the WSJ report, last month, the terrorists received “specialised combat training” in Iran before they launched the unprecedented land, air, and sea attack on Israel.
Sources reveal that senior Palestinian leaders, as well as Iranian Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the chief of the Quds Force, were present at the training.
Iran's elite guard trained 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters ahead of October 7 attack https://t.co/5e2pZ5kwpK
— WION (@WIONews) October 25, 2023
Additionally, the WSJ report, which cited top Hamas and Hezbollah officials, stated that the Quds Force helped plan the attack and agreed to carry it out during a meeting with Hamas and Hezbollah commanders in Beirut on 2 October.
Reportedly, an adviser to Syria’s government and a European diplomat also confirmed Iran’s involvement.
As per the report, Western and Egyptian authorities confirmed that Hamas contacted IRGC and Hezbollah leaders overseas on 7 October to notify them that the attack had started.
Since then, the IRGC, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other regional militias have claimed to have been in close contact to coordinate their operations. As reported by militant commanders and an IRGC consultant, Quds Force commander Qaani was in Lebanon recently to hold talks with Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
Iran regularly provides training to militant groups across the Middle East, including Gaza militants, Afghan mercenaries fighting in Syria, Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon, Shiite troops from Iraq, and the Houthis from Yemen, as stated by Saeid Golkar, an IRGC scholar at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
No Concrete Evidence of Iran’s Involvement: US
Senior US officials and others acquainted with the information surrounding the attacks have disputed the narratives of the 2 October meeting. Several US sources claimed that Washington has “compelling” evidence showing Iranian authorities were surprised by the Hamas attack.
US sources said Iran has regularly trained militants in Iran and overseas, but there is no evidence of mass training before the attack. Additionally, US officials and those familiar with the intelligence have no evidence that Iran conducted training particularly to prepare for the attack.
Last week, Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said, “The information that we have does not show a direct connection to the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 as it relates to Iran. Again, that’s something that we’ll continue to look closely at.”
Iran-Hamas Relations
WSJ said that statements from European and Israeli authorities indicate that the IRGC provided weapons and funds to Hamas as the Palestinian group grew as a significant militant organisation fighting Israel in the 1980s.
The relationship weakened in 2012, when Hamas allied with Iranian ally President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. The Islamic Republic severed all ties with Hamas.
In 2017, Hamas said that it had received fresh funding from Tehran. At that time, the IRGC increased its military assistance, providing training and components that allowed Hamas to manufacture its drones and missiles to strike Israel.